One million pounds given to West Yorkshire by Police and Crime Commissioner to help reduce crime (27 Nov 2015)

West Yorkshire's Police and Crime Commissioner, Mark
Burns-Williamson, has awarded nearly £153,000 in the latest round
of the Safer Communities Funds (SCF) grants - taking the grand
total of awards given since the SCF began to over £1milllion.

Successful applicants gathered at Wakefield District
Headquarters where they received their cheques of up to £5000.

The grants come from the Police and Crime Commissioner's Safer
Communities Fund which uses money seized from criminals under the
Proceeds of Crime Act. It was started nearly two years ago and has
awarded £1,016,122 since that time.

Thirty five
successful groups were awarded the grants - up to £5000 each - last
night at an event at Wakefield District Headquarters.

Mr Burns-Williamson said: "I originally launched the Safer
Communities Fund to bring together money seized from criminals
across West Yorkshire into a single pot to benefit the local
communities. There is an incredible demand for funding to pay for
community projects which will help people across the county be
safer and feel safer.

I am delighted that we have now reached the £1 million milestone
- that means that £1million of criminals' money has been used to
help the people of West Yorkshire prevent crime, and it doesn't
stop there the next round of grants will open next week."

Hundreds of applications have been received by the Office of the
Police and Crime Commissioner since the fund launched in February
2014 and so far a total of 226 groups have benefited.

The next grant round opens on 30th November, 2015. Applicants
can apply for up to £5000 with a total pot of £200,000 to be
awarded in February 2016. If you're interested in applying or want
to find out more about any of the projects which have been funded
then please visit www.westyorkshire-pcc.gov.uk/safer-communities-fund.aspx
where you can check whether you meet the required criteria and find
out how to apply.